• My Story
    ▼
    • About Me
    • My Vision
    • My Community Involvement
  • Work with Me
    ▼
    • Mediation
    • Collaborative Divorce
    • Settlement-Focused Separation and Divorce
    • Cohabitation Agreements
  • Refer a Client to Me
  • Divorce Resources
    ▼
    • Divorce FAQs
    • Divorce Tools
    • Divorce Forms
    • Communication Tools
    • E-Learning Community
  • Workshops
    ▼
    • Speaking Engagements
  • Media
    ▼
    • Videos
    • Media Engagement
  • Blog
  • Contact
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Stephanie Dobson Lawyer & Mediator

Family Law Mediator & Collaborative Divorce Attorney

780.875.2234
780.875.2234
Client Portal
  • My Story
    • About Me
    • My Vision
    • My Community Involvement
  • Work with Me
    • Mediation
    • Collaborative Divorce
    • Settlement-Focused Separation and Divorce
    • Cohabitation Agreements
  • Refer a Client to Me
  • Divorce Resources
    • Divorce FAQs
    • Divorce Tools
    • Divorce Forms
    • Communication Tools
    • E-Learning Community
  • Workshops
    • Speaking Engagements
  • Media
    • Videos
    • Media Engagement
  • Blog
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Blog / Planning for Living Together – Questions to Contemplate

Planning for Living Together – Questions to Contemplate

April 8, 2020 By Stephanie Dobson

signing a contract

Unmarried living together – very common these days! Planning for that cohabitation – less common, but probably one of the most important things you can do.  Whether you end up married or not, the law in many jurisdictions provides that once you’ve been living together for a certain period, your division of assets & debts / spousal support obligations / entitlements on separation or death are different than you may expect.  Tying the knot is not the triggering event for the automatic “sharing” any longer!

The typical reason that people come in to have a cohabitation agreement drafted is because they want to contemplate including or excluding certain assets from division if there is a separation or on death.

But, don’t stop there! These questions are just as important:

  1. How often will the agreement be reviewed (4-5 years at least);
  2. Planning life together
    1. Expected roles during the marriage? Work once kids arrive?
    2. Division of household obligations?
    3. Possibility of a move for a job / opportunity? Contemplated?
    4. How will we keep our “spark” alive / fill each other’s “love bucket”?
  3. Finances
    1. Expectations on saving, spending?
    2. Will you budget? Will it be done together?
    3. Bank accounts – joint? separate? Payment of household bills?
    4. Who will manage family finances?
  4. Children
    1. Kids from previous relationship
      1. Discuss step-parenting relationship.
      2. How to provide for them – during relationship, on death, on separation?
    2. Step-parent adoption?
      1. Schedule at your home vs other biological parent’s home?
    3. Do you plan on having children together? Discuss.
  5. Extended family
    1. Time with in-laws – Is this flexible or rigid?
    2. What if a relative wants to move in with you? Contemplated?
  6. Communication
    1. Expectations around communication?
    2. Use of a shared calendar? How much is shared?
    3. Types of decisions to be made together?
    4. Willingness level to work on communication skills / share issues with each other?
    5. System for communicating difficult issues?
    6. Willingness to go to counselling?

This is a non-exhaustive list, but it drives home the point that there are so many things to consider when contemplating a life together.  It’s not all just about how to plan for the division of assets and debts, it’s so much more.  The goal of most relationships who are at the point of living together is “forever”.  If we enter a relationship with intention, contemplating these types of questions above, I suggest that the prospect of separation is reduced significantly.  Communication (or lack thereof) is one of the most common “reasons” that my clients give for their relationship breakdown.  With the above questions, we could be onto something to helping to alleviate that problem!

Filed Under: Blog, Communication Plan, Division of Property, Divorce, Family Law and Divorce, Mediation, Written Agreements

Primary Sidebar

Henka Divorce Law & Mediation
4104 – 50 Avenue
Lloydminster, AB/SK T9V 0V8
T: 780.875.2234
F: 866.210.4617

Our Family in Two HomesAn innovative, practical resource package that combines Stephanie’s live help with a comprehensive workbook so that you can reach a separation agreement that works for your family in a cost-effective way.

Click for More Information

 

Let’s Connect

From the Blog

How can I reduce the stress and emotions that always seems to go along with separation and divorce?

As we lead into the holidays, it always seems as though there is a surge in phone calls at my office for consultations.  No matter what the reason, or when separations occur, it is likely going … [Read More...]

Videos

  • Optimizing Exchanges of Kids - Stephanie Dobson
    Optimizing Exchanges of Kids - Stephanie Dobson
  • Becoming Successful Co-parents - Stephanie Dobson
    Becoming Successful Co-parents - Stephanie Dobson
  • Building an Effective Parenting Plan - Stephanie Dobson
    Building an Effective Parenting Plan - Stephanie Dobson
  • Parenting From Two Homes
    Parenting From Two Homes
  • Rebuilding Trust - Stephanie Dobson
    Rebuilding Trust - Stephanie Dobson
  • Helping Kids Thrive - Stephanie Dobson
    Helping Kids Thrive - Stephanie Dobson
  • How to Tell the Kids - Stephanie Dobson
    How to Tell the Kids - Stephanie Dobson
  • Effective Communication - Stephanie Dobson
    Effective Communication - Stephanie Dobson
  • Preparing for Separation - Stephanie Dobson
    Preparing for Separation - Stephanie Dobson
  • Our Family in Two Homes Workbook - Stephanie Dobson
    Our Family in Two Homes Workbook - Stephanie Dobson
  • The Right Divorce Professional - Stephanie Dobson
    The Right Divorce Professional - Stephanie Dobson

Footer

Henka Divorce Law & Mediation
4104 – 50 Avenue
Lloydminster, AB/SK T9V 0V8
T: 780.875.2234
F: 866.210.4617

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter

Articles by Category

Copyright © 2021 Henka Divorce Law & Mediation · All Rights Reserved

· · ·

Website Design by The Crouch Group